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We had a pleasant evening here on a Saturday. Staff served us very professionally and attentively and accommodated a special request without comment or hesitation. The ambiance matches the service - professional and finely tuned, making for a relaxed evening. We had the heirloom tomato soup, which tasted fine but lacked any sort of originally. Our sole complaint was with one of our main courses: the scallops, which was awful - and we had two at the table, so it wasn’t a one-off accident. The risotto base had way too much salt and the scallops/crab meat on top could not be tasted through the over applied curry oil (and was that black pepper in addition to the curry oil?). Yuck. The pork chops and the custom made vegetarian pasta were both fine. We loved the creme brulee, which was prepared in a wide, shallow dish to maximize the surface area of the crispy glaze. Definitely consider getting the creme brulee. The wine list is quite good, including a few noteworthy and hard to find in restaurants bottles. We did not discuss wines with the waiter, so I cannot comment on the staff’s knowledge in this area, but whoever assembled the list made good choices. We will go again - principally for the service and ambiance - but we will stay away from the scallops. Perhaps the rib-eye....

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Thank James F

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

I was in for a business visit to Mt. Holyoke College, and my hosts took me here for a last dinner. The restaurant is set up to be intimate, but a few too many hard surfaces lead to it getting sort of loud inside when it's busy, which it was when I visited. They had some nice wines on the menu, and a nice selection of dinner options (I did a pasta bolognese that was very flavorful, but quite rich (added cream in the sauce), which given the chill in the air outside went over well with me. A pleasant dining surprise in a little MA college town!

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Ask Jeffrey R about Food 101 Bar & Bistro

Thank Jeffrey R

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

Terrible customer service. Our waitress who wouldn't give us her name (Server 12 on the receipt), was so extremely rude to my girlfriend and I. 1. We ordered fries to share and our waitress accidentally brought out two orders claiming that we both ordered fries which we didn't. "You must have ordered it" our waitress said because she wrote it down. 2. My girlfriend ordered a salad and asked for a bigger one. She did not mention that a bigger salad would be double the price. Ok, so we asked for a manager. She says the manager is on the line cooking and that he can't come out. I tell her to charge the card the amount and ask for her name. She grabs the bill from my hand and walks away without saying a word. Now she walks back in with the manager. I explain the story to him while she stares at us over him. Then my girlfriend explains her side, and the waitress LAUGHS at her. The manager refuses to do anything and apologizes for the miscommunication.

Listen, I get it working in a restaurant is stressful but treating your customer like crap is not going to help your cause. Please rethink the way you run this place.

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Ask NickAshe about Food 101 Bar & Bistro

Thank NickAshe

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

My wife and I each ordered a medium to rare steak which was served up cremated. The waitress said customers like the charcoaled effect but it wasn't that, it was cooked too high consequently ruined the taste of the meal all we could taste was 'the charcoal effect' and not steak. We had limited options as my wife has gluten and dairy issues and we made this known in advance via phone again prior to ordering. We will not be going back there.

Ask simon c about Food 101 Bar & Bistro

1 Thank simon c

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

Consistent excellence is not easy to accomplish in the restaurant business, but this wonderful place has done it. We have dined here multiple times on different days and have never had even a minor complaint. The servers should be training all others at area establishments in professionalism and timeliness. The food preparation and presentation is always spot-on, the quality and portion sizes exceed the price point. Kudos to the owner/chef and his management. The menu has recently expanded, if you're a beef lover you're in for a treat. The beef filet is as good as any I've had anywhere, including several big cities I've visited. My husband's boneless ribeye was pure perfection. Fried oysters were sublime, Chocolate tort alone worth a visit. Margaritas strong and no sugary mix. Yes, it's loud on a Friday or Saturday. If this puts you off, go earlier in the week. We will return again and again.

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Thank sofismon

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC